Korean holidays & closures
The two times of year Korea actually pauses (Seollal & Chuseok) and what stays open. Pick any date and we'll tell you the impact.
Coming up
Christmas Day · 기독탄신일2026-12-25 – 2026-12-27 (~3-day window)low
Public holiday, but in Korea more a day out with friends or a date than a family holiday — restaurants get very busy.
Open- • Shops, restaurants and tourist sites (very busy)
Closed- • Government offices and banks
Travel tips- • Book restaurants well ahead for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
New Year's Day · 신정2027-01-01 – 2027-01-03 (~3-day window)medium
Public holiday. Government offices and banks close; most shops and tourist sites keep normal hours.
Open- • Convenience stores
- • Most malls and cafes
- • Subway and trains
- • Tourist attractions
Closed- • Government offices
- • Banks
- • Some small restaurants
Travel tips- • Watching the first sunrise of the year is a popular tradition — east-coast beaches fill up before dawn.
Seollal (Lunar New Year) · 설날2027-02-06 – 2027-02-09 (~4-day window) · Substitute holiday 2027-02-09high
Three official days off, plus a substitute day when one falls on a Sunday — with a weekend it often becomes a 4–5 day break. One of the two times a year much of Korea stops.
Open- • Convenience stores
- • Most chain hotels
- • Big tourist areas and many malls (hours may be shorter)
- • Trains and express buses (very busy)
- • Royal palaces — recent Seollal and Chuseok breaks have been free of charge (check royal.khs.go.kr)
Closed- • Government offices and banks
- • Many family-run restaurants and small shops
- • Many clinics and hair salons
- • Many traditional market stalls
Travel tips- • Stay near busy tourist areas (e.g. Myeongdong, Hongdae, Jongno), where more places stay open.
- • Holiday train tickets sell out fast — book as soon as sales open on letskorail.com.
- • Roads out of Seoul jam at the start of the break and back into Seoul at the end — take the train if you can.
- • Tteokguk (rice-cake soup) is the dish of the day.
Independence Movement Day (Samiljeol) · 삼일절2027-02-27 – 2027-03-01 (~3-day window)low
National holiday marking the 1919 independence movement. Government offices and banks close; tourist sites run as usual.
Open- • Tourist sites, shops and restaurants
Closed- • Government offices and banks
Travel tips- • Places tied to the 1919 movement, such as Tapgol Park and Seodaemun Prison History Hall, are meaningful visits today.
Labor Day (Nodongjeol) · 노동절2027-05-01 – 2027-05-03 (~3-day window) · Substitute holiday 2027-05-03low
A public holiday from 2026. Government offices and banks close; shops and tourist sites mostly open.
Open- • Shops, restaurants and tourist sites
Closed- • Government offices
- • Banks
Travel tips- • It sits right before Children's Day — expect busy trains and attractions in early May.
Children's Day · 어린이날2027-05-05medium
Family day — theme parks, zoos and museums get extremely crowded.
Open- • Theme parks, zoos and museums (very crowded)
Closed- • Government offices and banks
Travel tips- • Going to a theme park or zoo? Arrive at opening time, or pick another day.
Buddha's Birthday · 부처님오신날2027-05-13low
Temples hang lotus lanterns and hold ceremonies. Government offices and banks close; tourism runs as usual.
Open- • Temples (lantern displays)
- • Tourist sites, shops and restaurants
Closed- • Government offices and banks
Travel tips- • Seoul's Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeondeunghoe, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list) holds its lantern parade in the days before — see /festivals.
- • Jogyesa and Bongeunsa in Seoul are popular for their lanterns.
Memorial Day · 현충일2027-06-05 – 2027-06-06 (~2-day window)low
Day of remembrance for the war dead. A siren sounds nationwide at 10:00 for a one-minute silence.
Open- • Shops, restaurants and tourist sites
Closed- • Government offices and banks
Travel tips- • If you hear the 10:00 siren, pause quietly for the minute.